Alex87 wrote:
kkkjjjhhh wrote:
I got a full ride so everyone can right? Since college was free to me, it’s obviously free for everyone as long as they are as good as I am. If they aren’t, it was their own fault!
Ever heard of community college?
Yep, in California, Community Colleges are free the first 2 years... free applications too. You pay for books, but even then, it’s not that hard to qualify for book vouchers-especially if you truly need them. For those in poverty or classified as independents, you can qualify for a pell grant (~$2900 a semester) that you can spend on rent/food since tuition is free. There’s also work study programs so you can work on campus with a flexible schedule.. the point is, you should be able to at least break even while in Community College and you have a good shot of actually saving money.
The State universities are roughly $3300 a semester for tuition and fees for an undergraduate program (I just looked it up). That’s $13,200 for two years with no academic or financial aid.
So with absolutely ZERO aid, you have $13,200 for 4 years of tuition and fees if you start at community college. These people with huge student loans have them in part because they chose them. It sucks, it really does, but they did choose it. But I do believe we should do a better job of educating 18 year-olds on the financial burden of their college decisions instead of encouraging them to go to their ‘dream college’ that is out-of-state and costs $30,000 a year.
‘Free college’ for everyone at every University isn’t the answer. Being responsible school counselors, teachers, and parents that educate kids about the financial realities of college is a good step though.